Attempting to Drink From the Fountain of Youth

3 Easy Steps to Brighten and Plump Up Your Face

Can you believe it’s October? Ghouls and goblins and witches and zombies! Speaking of witches…I need to get my broom tuned up…😂😂

If you know me, you know I’m always trying to find ways to drink from that fountain of youth.

If you’ve noticed that lack of sleep, sweat, sun, and those undetectable free radicals floating around have taken their toll on your face (like they have mine), you may be relieved to find out that it only takes 3 easy steps to get that beautiful, glowy, youthful skin back lickety-split. In fact, you might be more than relieved – ecstatic is probably a better word!

I’m not going to beat around the bush. Let’s get to the deets!

1. EXFOLIATE

This isn’t the first time I’ve talked about exfoliating, and it probably won’t be the last time.

Even if you used SPF, and even if you wore bonnets this summer, if you spent any amount of time in the sun, there’s a good chance that the sun wreaked some havoc on your skin. Did you know that the sun can actually make the top layer of your skin thicken? It does. That thickening can dull your skin.

If you want your skin to remain in tip-top shape, you have to exfoliate it. Slough off those dead skin cells and build-up.

They also have pads that you can wipe (not scour) your face with. Their pads make exfoliating quick and simple. I like to use them when I just don’t have time for a mask. A minute or two of wiping that pad on your face, and you’re done.

Remember, if you’re going to exfoliate, be sure to do it when you know you won’t be in the sun, because exfoliating makes your skin more sensitive to the harsh rays of the sun.

2. Plump It Up

If you want your skin to reflect light, you’re going to want it to be plump and firm. In the morning, give your skin a boost and smooth out your complexion quickly by applying a low concentration of retinol.

The superhero of antiaging products.

Retinol is Vitamin A1, and has been referred to as thr superhero of antiaging products. When retinol (or retinoids) are applied to your skin, your body’s enzymes convert it into retinoic acid (tretinoin), which is basically the active form of the vitamin. This awesome sauce does all kinds of amazing things to skin cells.

Retinoic acid:

Increases cell turnover

Stimulates the production of collagen and elastin

Fades hyperpigmentation

Helps skin remain hydrated without irritation

You may have heard of Retin-A, a prescription treatment for acne suffers. The active ingredient? Tretinoin. Retinol also has antiaging properties that fight wrinkles and help brighten your skin. And itcan treat and prevent dark spots, wrinkles caused by sun damage, eczema, and stubborn cystic acne.

As I said, though, you only need to use a low concentration. You don’t need anything as strong as prescription acne treatment on a daily basis unless you’re suffering from persistent acne. (Of course, in that case, you’ll need to get a prescription.)

ROC has a night cream you can grab at Walmart or a drug store. Sure, it’s a bit pricey for drug store, but just remember, you get what you pay for.

Murad has one that I love, their Retinol Youth Renewal Serum. It’s super light on my face and absorbs like a champ! And immediately gives my face a boost of plumpiness.

As you cam see, there are retinol creams or serums, so you can pick your choice. If you prefer to apply it at night, because you don’t want to put it on under your makeup, you are welcome to, but mornings are best if you want the plumpiest effect.

Retinol also helps to absorb your moisturizer, which is the next step.

3. MEGA Hydrate

Find a good moisturizer that works great with your skin.

Hey, what about hyaluronic acid?!!!

The Truth About Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is actually naturally found in our bodies. Did you know that? It is found in connective tissue, and helps to give our skin that marvelous estacity that we start to miss as we get older.

Okay, maybe that’s not a secret, but I have a lot more to tell you about this stuff, so take a seat.

Why does everyone get so excited about hyaluronic acid?

What you may not know about hyaluronic acid is that, before it hit the shelves in our skincare products, it was used for eye surgeries to increase the efficacy and safety of the procedures, as well as protect the delicate tissues surrounding the eyes. It’s also naturally found in the connective tissues around our eyes, so why not use it?

It is more commonly used as an injection to cosmetically fill in wrinkles. Our bodies don’t recognize hyaluronic acid as a foreign substance, therefore, it often works better than injectable collagen, because it is less likely to cause a negative reaction.

Hyaluronic acid works like a sponge, swells up with water and fills in those pesky wrinkles, when it’s injected. Then, the body absorbs the hyaluronic acid over the course of about 3 months to a year after the injection.

The best part about injectible hyaluronic acid, as opposed to collagen? If you don’t like how the injections turned out, hyaluronidaze (an emzyme) can be used to disperse the hyaluronic acid before it starts to dissolve naturally.

Why is HA So Highly Coveted?

The unique quality that just one hyaluronic acid molecule boasts is the ability to not only retain, but also attract 1,000 times its weight in water. That’s some serious power! No other substance on this earth can do that!

The Myth

Here’s the thing though…when used topically, rather than injected, it’s not as effective. Sad, but true. In fact, you might find that it does just the opposite – dries your skin out.

When it’s injected, the needle that is used passes through the epidermis layer of your skin. When applied topically, hyaluronic acid molecules are too big to make their way into the epidermis. So, you’re not going to see the difference by applying hyaluronic acid topically as you will see if you got it injected. It’s not going to replace any collagen or hyaluronic acid you’ve lost as you have aged.

In fact, if you have dry skin, you may realize that hyaluronic acid makes your skin drier.

Here’s why:

Whenit’sapplied to the skin topically, it cannot pull water from the environment injection to your skin. What it can do is pull moisture from the inner layers of your skin, leaving your skin even more dehydrated.

How to Use Hyaluronic Acid Properly

So, in order to get the results you want, you have to use HA a certain way. It’s a humectant. That means that it prevents the loss of moisture by grabbing it and retaining it, so the skin can absorb it.

First of all, if you have sensitive skin, do a spot test before using HA all over your face, as plenty of people have experienced a reaction to topical HA. Each product is made with a different concentration, so look for a product with a concentration that works for you.

People with oily skin like mine may find that HA works great for them, while people with dry skin (or sensitive skin) might not be able to use some – or all – concentrations at all.

Topical cream or serum works best when your skin is still wet or damp. The HA will help to lock in that moisture for your skin to absorb.

I’ve found that moisturizers with hyaluronic acid in them work best for me, because I have very oily skin. This Hydro Boost water gel with hyaluronic acid in it by Neutrogena makes my skin so happy! Especially when I apply some of my facial serums immediately afterwards.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the magic formula for everyone. You’re going to have to figure out if and how HA works for you.

This final step does not necessarily have to include hyaluronic acid, but if you want the dewiest complexion, you’re going to need to find a product that will make your skin mega moisturized after you apply the retinol.

Try this 3-step method out to get brighter, plumper skin and let me know how it works!

Do you have a secret to keep your skin youthful looking? Let me know in the comments below!⏬⏬